The legislature is set to look at this and a number of other potential revenue options to keep the Fish and Game Department afloat.

State Sen. Bob Odell, R-Lempster, chaired a legislative committee to study the options to improve the sustainability of the Fish and Game Department. He said something has to be done and he wants it to be looked at it in broad terms so a long-term solution can be found.

Self-funded through license and registration fees and federal funds, Fish and Game has been seeing flat license sales since 2003 and a loss in federal dollars. At the same time, expenses have been going up.

Odell said information given to the commission was the agency is looking at a $3 million a year deficit by 2017 and the legislature needs to consider its options before budget time comes around again.

This past summer, general funds were tapped to help pay department costs.

It will receive $1.6 million through 2015 from the state coffers.

The department brings in $30 million annually in revenue, but that is still not enough.

"At some point, we have to address it," Odell said Sunday. "Either on the revenue side or the spending side, something has to be done."

The commission studied only the revenue side, he stressed, and came up with some recommendations.

Among those options which could be added to House Bill 256:

-- Increase Fish and Game license fees to be the same price for both fish and game. Currently resident fishing licenses are $35 and it is $22 to hunt.-- Increase the age for free, lifetime in-state licenses, now set at age 68. It used to be 70.-- Consider a new, non-motorized watercraft fee of $10.

Four states have such fees averaging $10 annually to pay for wildlife conservation.

Illinois has an annual $6 water usage stamp for canoes and kayaks and Pennsylvania only requires a decal on canoes and other non-motorized vessels if they use state ramps and state parks.

In New Hampshire, such a conservation decal would address a matter of fairness, according to the report and, "provide an opportunity ... to support the work of the department, which benefits them."

The members of the study committee agreed this should not be a registration of the watercraft but a fee, to help support the agency, which is "user friendly."

It does not state how the collection would occur nor projected income.

The report noted while this has been considered in the past and rejected, "given the critical financial circumstances at the department, the commission found that this option should be considered again."

In New Hampshire, canoe dealer decals would be available for rental fleets of vessels.

Tom Whalen of Wild Meadow Canoes in Center Harbor said the idea would not be well-received by his community of users and retailers.

"They need to consider the full ramifications of this," he said, noting people already pay to recreate on publicly-acquired access sites.

Whalen said sales of canoes, kayaks and standup paddleboards have shifted dramatically to a rental business. Sometimes, he said he needs to move quickly to take a vessel out of retail sale and press it into rental service. Having to pay a fee for a sticker would add to costs and confusion.

"We need flexibility and the law generally is not flexible," he said.

Odell said the recommendations of the bill can be added House Bill 256, retained in the House to look at how to pay for Search and Rescue missions.

He said the issue is broader than search and rescue.

Susan Arnold, vice president for conservation at the Appalachian Mountain Club said the organization is committed to working with others to find a funding solution for Fish and Game.

“We are pleased that legislation has been proposed to continue the commission looking into the funding challenges faced by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. AMC and others in the volunteer search-and-rescue community are dedicated to our service and will continue playing a supportive role in finding equitable and long-term funding solutions for Fish and Game.

"A fee for non-motorized watercraft is one of many proposals that have been offered, and we believe that continued dialogue and coordination between state officials, legislators, and representatives of the outdoor recreation community about all options will be critical components of success,” she said.

Tom O'Brien, president of the New Hampshire Lakes Association, sat in on some of the committee discussions and agreed with Arnold. The association represents more than 120 lake associations.

He said the report "illuminates the need for a comprehensive discussion on how all the state's natural resource agencies are funded," including Environmental Services, Resources, and Safety.

For their part, the report asks the legislature to make a policy decision on whether Fish and Game should continue to be self-funded.

Bringing a budget to the governor for funding, like other departments, would mean it would lose a bit of its autonomy, Odell noted.

Federal funds account for 32 percent of the revenue of the department and license fees are 22 percent, the rest comes from OHRV/snowmobile license revenue. The funds fluctuate from year to year.

To deal, Fish and Game has cut staff by 15 including four conservation officer positions, the report states. Increasing license fees alone will not be a long term fix.

The study committee members also asked that their body be re-created to spend another year to fully study the issue of the department's future funding.

The report also took the Fish and Game Department to task for its overdue 10-year strategic plan.

The current plan was drafted 15 years ago and promised to be completed in 2007 during an audit.

A completed strategic plan will be due by the end of 2014, under the recommendations of the legislative commission.

The Senator said that the study commission did not look at tapping Rooms and Meals Fees, as some in the past have recommended.

He said that is because that money is basically spoken for. But it could become a part of the policy discussion in the next legislative session.